EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

Player to watch : Zach LeDay

Zach LeDay is becoming an increasingly familiar figure on the European basketball scene. In eight seasons in the EuroLeague (C1), the Texan has already racked up over 2,500 points across four of the competition’s top teams. An unpredictable path for the Azerbaijani international. Standing at 2.02 metres tall, the small-forward/power forward took a while to make his mark in the NCAA. After struggling initially with the South Florida Bulls, it wasn’t until he joined the Virginia Tech Hokies that he really set the scoring charts alight. Too short for the draft, he chose to join Gilboa Galil straight out of college.

It soon became clear that the Israeli league was too small for him. Beyond his near-20-point average, he was a player capable of racking up double-doubles averaging over 20 points and 20 rebounds. In the summer of 2018, he even took part in the Summer League with the Hawks, eventually making a leap up the European rankings by joining Olympiacos. A year later, he headed to Kaunas. Then it was off to Olimpia Milan for his first stint, where he finished third in the EuroLeague (C1). This versatile player, possessing the aggressiveness of a centre on the rebound and the finesse of a forward on the shot, honed his skills over three seasons at Partizan.

Back in northern Italy since 2024, Zach LeDay has established himself as the leader of a team undergoing a rebuild.

Playing style

With the departure of Ettore Messina and Nikola Mirotić, Olimpia Milan has had to completely overhaul the approach it has followed since the start of the decade. Under Giuseppe Poeta, the club has adopted a more modern style: faster, more fluid, with better spacing… This squad is constantly looking to put its shooters in the best possible position. Hence the fact that this combination of long passes and catch-and-shoot plays is a pattern we see regularly. Shot selection is sound, as evidenced by their three-point percentage.

In recent years, Olimpia Milan had also relied heavily on its star players. This ‘star dependency’ has been completely set aside in favour of a balanced distribution of responsibilities. Each player’s time on court is now much shorter. During these spells, players must turn the ‘intensity’ dial up to the max whilst adhering as closely as possible to the role assigned to them. And in defence, the rule is the same for everyone: constantly challenge, make up for any lapses and remain disciplined.

Club history

Officially, Olimpia Milano was founded in 1936, the year it won its first Scudetto. It is, in fact, this date that appears on the club’s logo. However, unofficially, the club was founded under the name ‘Afterjob Borletti’… in 1930! So why was the club’s history backdated by six years? Quite simply because Adolfo Bogoncelli – the club’s iconic president – decided so! In the run-up to the Second World War, the club from northern Italy added three league titles to its tally. In the meantime, the team moved from Trieste to Como, before finally returning to its birthplace: Milan. Its formation was completed in 1947 when the Scarpette Rosse merged with Borletti to become Olimpia. And with the appointment of Cesare Rubini as head coach, Adolfo Bogoncelli formed the first great president-coach duo in the history of Italian basketball.

Between 1948 and 1974, the Prince of Milan was Cesare Rubini. That was, in fact, his nickname. ‘Il Principe’ was a physical phenomenon, a walking anomaly capable of winning a silver medal at the European Basketball Championships, then going on to become an Olympic water polo champion in the same year. As a player-coach, he won six championships, including five in a row. To achieve this, he could count on talents such as Sandro Riminucci, capable of scoring 77 points in a single match. Then, once he was appointed head coach, Olimpia won nine Scudetti in 14 years. A golden era on every level. Seeking revenge for that semi-final lost in the dying moments to Real Madrid in 1964, Milan brought back Bill Bradley – a two-time NBA champion – with a very specific goal in mind: to lift the first European Cup (C1) for Italy. These words came to life on 1 April 1966. Fresh from their victory over CSKA Moscow (68–57), the Milanese side beat Slavia Prague in the final (77–72). The Rubini era came to an end with a back-to-back victory in the Cup Winners’ Cup (C2).

As crazy as it may seem, Olimpia’s 1975–76 season was a rollercoaster ride worthy of the world’s best. In the space of a few months, Milan went from winning the second most prestigious European cup to being relegated to the Italian second division. It is worth noting that the club had previously lost a number of league titles in play-offs. Although the Italians bounced back the very next year, a cycle seemed to be coming to an end. This impression was reinforced by the departure of Adolfo Bogoncelli in 1980. But before leaving, the legendary former president handed the keys to the red and white truck to a certain Dan Peterson. The American coach initially led his team to the very top of the Italian league in 1982 – 10 years after their last title. However, success was soon mixed with misfortune. The ‘one-point curse’ then struck the club. 1983: a 69-68 defeat to Ford Cantù in the European Champions Cup (C1) final and runners-up in the Italian league. 1984: an 82-81 defeat to Real Madrid in the Cup Winners’ Cup (C2) final and runners-up in the Italian league once again. 1985… a 91-78 victory in the Korac Cup (C3) final against Pallacanestro Varese and Italian champions!

Dan Peterson, however, had his sights set higher. As the 1986–87 season approached, the Milan squad was slowly beginning to age. The three-time national champions were reaching the end of a cycle. To win this second European Cup (C1), they needed to make a bold statement – and they needed to do it now. This was achieved with the signing of Bob McAdoo. A three-time NBA top scorer in 924 games, the centre quickly became the key player for Olimpia in what would be the greatest campaign in the club’s history. In addition to the cup-and-league double, the Scarpette Rosse reached the pinnacle thanks to a clutch shot from Doron Jamchy (71-69) against Maccabi. As soon as the Peterson era came to an end, new coach Franco Casalini guided the recent Intercontinental Cup winners to a European back-to-back against the same opponents as the previous year (90-84). Yet another successful spell culminated in a Scudetto and an additional Korac Cup (C3).

But for the first time since its founding, Olimpia was going through a rough patch. For three seasons, the club achieved good results, even reaching two consecutive Korac Cup (C3) finals, without, however, winning a single trophy. 1996 brought a ray of sunshine into the gloomy skies of northern Italy, notably with the club’s 25th league title. Season after season, the club sank deeper into crisis. The point of no return came in 2004. On the brink of being sold, the two giants of local football – Inter and AC Milan – came to the rescue of the club’s ownership before Giorgio Armani became the main sponsor. This proved a turning point for Milan, which promptly returned to the top of the domestic scene. The project came to fruition in 2014 when Luca Banchi’s men won the LBA, 18 years later. Since then, the Scarpette Rosse have once again become a powerhouse in Italian and even European basketball, thanks to five Scudetti in nine years, four Super Cups in five years, five domestic Cups in seven years and, above all, a third-place finish in the EuroLeague (C1) in 2021.

Zoom : Wilt Chamberlain

From 1947 to 1980, Olimpia Milano was managed by Adolfo Bogoncelli, a businessman ahead of his time. It was he who established the sponsorship system with Borletti, and later with the historic Simmenthal brand. He was also behind the creation of a transfer market for players and, in particular, helped spread basketball culture throughout Italy.

And to achieve this goal, which was far from a foregone conclusion, he had a stroke of genius: bringing the world’s best team to Italy. Thus, the Harlem Globetrotters, featuring the future two-time NBA champion Wilt Chamberlain, played several matches across the Atlantic. At a time when the vast majority of African-American players were barred from the NBA, this was not only the most famous but also one of the very best teams in the world of basketball.

The Number : 30

That is the number of offensive rebounds conceded by Olimpia Milano against CSKA Moscow on 30 December 2020 – a rather sad record.

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